A Down Payment for the Galapagos

You know that dream you concocted back when you still had braces and watched more cartoons than romcoms? The one that adopted some kind of mellow, benevolent halo as it faded into background nostalgia and watched over the more practical ambitions that you formed as you learned to relinquish excitement for feasibility? The one that when you’re by yourself and you know nobody else is listening you still venture to tell yourself in a small, hopeful whisper, “I’ll get there someday!” Yeah, I’m talking about that dream.

Mine has been to go to the Galapagos.

For over a decade, I’ve fantasized about gawking at Galapagos fur seals and seeing marine iguanas in person and walking the same landscape that’s been a mecca for the mind of biology for almost two centuries. And now, thanks to a Caltech course I was accepted into, I have that chance. I’m not on cloud nine. I’m pretty sure I passed cloud nine like a month ago. I don’t think they even have a number for the cloud I’m currently floating on.

But… there’s a problem. While Caltech is covering most of the costs, I’ve still gotta pay for my own plane tickets. Which, if the demigod of finances is feeling kind, estimates to somewhere around $800.

I’m a soon-to-graduate college student eking out what’s really just an allowance by freelance writing. I don’t have $800.

But between the masses – or at least, the part of the masses that cares about me and/or my writing – I think we do have $800. Which is why I’ve started a GoFundMe called “Send Miceala to the Galapagos!” I really hate asking you all for money (seriously, I’m flattered that you all even take the time to read my blog, and for those of you who have gotten versions of this post through multiple channels, I’m so sorry about the spam), but I can’t really do this one alone. But I’m not asking you to donate completely for free! I’ll write you things in return!

If you are interested and able to donate, you can find out the whole story on my GoFundMe page: http://www.gofundme.com/53r4wo

For those of you who don’t donate, I hope this post hasn’t turned you off my blog. I promise I don’t enjoy panhandling. You all deserve better posts than that. You know, posts with actual content…

But for those of you who do donate, thank you so much. Because this is something that I’m excited about. And I’m glad you think it’s worth it, helping make a down payment on my life dream.

Oh, and here’s a picture of a blue-footed booby:

Tags: Caltech, cost, donate, dream, evolution, Galapagos, GoFundMe, help